Traveling From Leticia Colombia to Iquitos Peru? READ THIS!
Due to recent problems a lovely American family faced in Peru I feel the need to forewarn anyone who is traveling Leticia Colombia - Iquitos Peru via speed boat.
The family arrived to the shanty border town of Santa Rosa at 5am. The town was empty, dark, no lights, no police an most important, no immigrations officials.
With their limited Spanish, they deducted that they should get back on the boat and proceed to Otorongo expeditions jungle lodge located eight hours upstream before they arrive to Iquitos.
( Otorongo is the only agency that will pick you up on your way from Leticia, we are also one of the lodges furthest from Iquitos)
The family had a terrific time with us for five days and proceeded to Iquitos, Lima, Cuzco and Lima agin until they were in line to pass through Peruvian I migrations to fly back to the USA.Red flags and lights went off as the I migrations agent noticed that no one in the family has their entrance stamp on the passport.
The Immigrations threatened them with fines, and having to travel back through Iquitos and to Leticia to get the stamp.Unfortunate for the family, they stayed in limbo in Lima airport for four days looking for a proper way out.After much bureaucratic red tape, paperwork, signatures, meeting with officials etc etc. the family managed to get their flights back and follow through back home after this traumatizing incident with no one to blame but the Peruvian Immigrations agency.
I insist that the family were victims of the poor coordination and complete lazyness of Immigrations officials.
Every day these speedboats enter In to the country at the same time.
Did the migrations want this American family to track down the migrations agent in the dark shantytown of Santa Rosa at 5:30am? Where are the customs agents? WHO REPRESENTS PERU on the border town?
So if you travel Leticia to Iquitos by boat, make sure you get your stamp on the passport in Leticia!!
If you do not get the stamp in Leticia, it is still possible to get it done in Iquitos.Also don't forget to spend five days at the Otorongo expeditions jungle lodge!